1. Field of the Invention
The following invention relates to food mixers. More particularly, though not exclusively, the invention relates to mixers typically used for mixing cake ingredients.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such mixers conventionally have a pair of counter-rotating beaters which extend downwardly from a mixing head into a mixing bowl. The beaters are offset from the vertical center axis of the bowl such that upon rotation of the bowl, all of the cake ingredients are blended by the beaters.
Such food mixers include a base having a turntable or carousel upon which the mixing bowl sits. From the base there extends a post upon which there is pivotally mounted a mixing head from which the beaters depend. A powerful electric motor situated within the head is connected by transmission means to the beaters. In some machines, torque output from this motor is also transferred via a mechanical transmission to the base so as to effect rotation of the turntable or carousel. In less expensive machines, the turntable rotates as a result of the interaction of the beaters with the ingredients in the bowl. There is a significant loss of the motor torque in the mechanical transmission from the motor to the base and turntable. For this reason, it is necessary to use an expensive motor having a torque output not only sufficient to drive the beaters through the cake ingredients, but also to overcome mechanical losses in transmission to the turntable.
Also known are hand-held mixers having a pair of counter-rotating beaters depending therefrom. Such devices can be used conveniently by holding the device over a mixing bowl, saucepan or other vessel and maneuvering the drives such that the motor-driven beaters are moved manually about the vessel for thorough mixing. Some such hand-held device can also be used in conjunction with a base having a rotating turntable upon which a bowl sits. Such devices have an auxiliary output shaft from the motor for coupling to a transmission mechanism in the base to effect rotation of the turntable.
These mixers suffer from the same problems as those fixed-head mixers discussed above.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages and/or more generally to provide an improved food mixer.
There is disclosed herein a food mixer having:
a base, a rotatable member mounted to the base for rotating a bowl that might be supported by the base, a first motor for driving said rotatable member and located within the base, a head supported by the base and detachable therefrom to enable hand-held operation of the head, a beater connecting member supported by said head and configured to receive a beater to extend into said bowl that might be supported by the base, a second motor for driving said beater connecting member and located within said head.
Preferably the base and head include connection means providing both mechanical and electrical interconnection of the base and head for use of the food mixer on a bench-top.
Preferably the base and/or the head include a shroud surrounding said connection means to prevent a user from inadvertently contacting the connection means during attachment or detachment of the head from the base.
Preferably in addition to said beater connecting member, said mixer includes another beater connecting member supported by said head and configured to receive a counter-rotating beater.
Preferably the mixer includes a first speed control for adjusting an operational speed of said first motor and a second speed control for independently controlling an operational speed of said second motor.
Preferably the second motor drives a shaft or a belt for transmitting power to said rotatable member.